Update on the Priest Lake incident.

[Gary D.]

It's 90 miles to the north of us.

The SS has a good target and when I got there today I jumped on the SS boat. I was shown the image of a possible target and I think we have him.

The only way to be sure is take a look. Well it's 350' to the bottom so I send down the camera. The wind was blowing so bad we couldn't control it after 15 hours today we bagged it and will try at 6am tomorrow. The weather is supposed to improve.

Please guys pray that we get him or at least ID him for a later removal. He was one of us. A Firemen. We need to bring him home.

If it is him, there are 5 others missing in the same general area, he is resting to the right of the island pictured and right at 350'.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=13&x=319&y=3362&z=11&w=1

Gary D.

 

[Boater Dan]

Gary:

Good luck and be very careful. Please keep us updated on how the efforts progress. Bring him home, but keep everyone else safe!

Dan

 

[Kayla]

Gary,

Good luck with everything. Always sad to lose someone, even worse when it is one of your own. Stay safe..


Kayla

 

[Gary D.]

We have heard this in the past, “Failure is not an option”.

Yes it is. Today I failed one of our own. Some of his co-workers were there and one was assisting us, but Mother Nature just would not cooperate. The wind was gusting to around 25 mph and the lake was running a foot or two. Trying to keep a camera steady and on course at 350’ with those conditions is tough. Not impossible, but tough enough to cause us to suffer a few strokes.

We are within 17’ of seeing the target, which is one of the best we have seen in a long time. Is it him? We don’t know, as there are 5 others missing in the same general area.

So with conditions so bad we were rigging a drag to snag the target and bring it up. We can position it with the SS to within inches so we won’t miss.

Sorry folks, but I have trouble doing this. We think he is just in swim trunks and I just have and always have had a thing about snagging someone’s bare skin. I don’t mind if they are clothed but hooking skin is just taking that last little bit of dignity away from them and it bugs the hxxl out of me.

The camera was onboard and as we were rigging the drag when the coroner buts in and says Kings X, “no snagging”. Say what? She shut the door on us so for now we’re done. I have a plethora of four letter words I could use here but I’d be zapped into the twilight zone.

She wants us to dive it. Dam lady (loose term) we are trying to do this the safest way and we aren’t even sure it is him yet. We think it is but we can’t confirm it and until it’s confirmed we aren’t putting a diver down, PERIOD.

So that’s where we are for now. 30 hours, each, of searching over two days just for the two of us visiting guys. Several others are involved so a lot of man/women hours have invested so far.

Gary D.

 

[Scubamedicjoe]

gary this going to be heluim or tri mix dive I take it .

 

[MikeFerrara]

Gary, are you guys set up for a 350 ft dive?

 

[Gary D.]

Gary, are you guys set up for a 350 ft dive?

10 years ago it wouldn't have been a problem as two of us could do it. Age and wisdom have come together and it will be farmed out to a younger generation who is qualified to do it safely.

Mother Nature has also taken her toll on me and a dive like that at my age is not going to please her at all.

I couldn't convence our brass I wouldn't dive so I had to leave the gear home both days. :^(

The new Coroner is just trying to flex her muscles and let everyone know who has the power. Flippin Butchski.

Gary D.

 

[Kayla]

Thats kind of a no-win situation right there. Hopefully, things will go better, and at least you can recover a body. People that decide to show who's boss at just the wrong time have no place on a search, rescue, or recovery at any time. Its about a team effort, and if not everyone is willing to work together.... well, you know what I mean.


Good luck with everything!


Safe diving!

Kayla

 

[Gary D.]

Thats kind of a no-win situation right there. Hopefully, things will go better, and at least you can recover a body. People that decide to show who's boss at just the wrong time have no place on a search, rescue, or recovery at any time. Its about a team effort, and if not everyone is willing to work together.... well, you know what I mean.


Good luck with everything!


Safe diving!

Kayla

We aren't used to this BS. When we are on an operation in our county it's the teams operation. If we can do it, we do it and if not we work WITH the brass on finding another way not against each other.

Whie Ken and I were working up north the team had two callouts in our area.

One guy ran from the LEO's and went into the lake. A couple from the team responded and waited for him to go out before going in, we don't fight a-holes in the water. But he got smart, or cold and came in where her was escorted to "our" resort and spa.

Then there was the old insurance scam. I can't make my boat payments so lits sink it. hehehe

Rule #1. Don't do it in the slip with all kinds of lines under it. Fly bridge was still above the water so the team went home.

Dumb poop. It was a good laugh when we heard and we needed that.

I don't mind failing if I have tried everything in my power. But when I still have tricks up my sleeve and I'm told by someone I can't use them I get bummed out.

I can't stand the process we were going to use but that was one of the last tricks we had left at the time. Mother Nature will cooperate later on and we could go back when she does but we won't have the SS then. He's one of ours, I want to bring him home.

Gary D.

 

[gjmmotors]

She wants us to dive it. Dam lady (loose term) we are trying to do this the safest way and we aren’t even sure it is him yet. We think it is but we can’t confirm it and until it’s confirmed we aren’t putting a diver down, PERIOD.
Gary D.

Would the risks outweigh the reward for this?
Your talking about a dive to 350ffw.
I dont know, maybe its just me but a diver has no reason to be there.
Just the logistics to set up the dive would be a huge cost.
I realize its another firefighter that you are going for, but all in all why risk more people with a dive like that. I wouldnt. Should be done with an ROV.
I know the FBI has ROV's as they were up here looking for a body during the winter.
-g mount